Monash University marked 60 years of its music program on 16 May 2025 with the launch of a cultural exhibition celebrating the deepening ties between Indian and Australian performing arts. Titled The Place of Indian Music and Dance in Australia, the exhibition opened at the Performing Arts Centre and brought together archival treasures, personal stories, and live performance in a tribute to cultural exchange.
Consul General of India in Melbourne, Dr Sushil Kumar, attended the event and highlighted the role of cultural diplomacy in strengthening ties between India and Australia. “Music and dance are not just expressions of art—they carry stories, philosophies and histories,” he said. “When shared across borders, they build bridges far sturdier than policy ever can.”
At the heart of the exhibition is the Tagore collection of Indian musical instruments, which includes rare pieces connected to Raja Sir Sourindro Mohun Tagore, a 19th-century polymath who championed Indian classical music’s global dissemination. These instruments now form part of the Popular Music Archive at Monash and have played a quiet but crucial role in exposing generations of students to Indian music traditions.
The show also honours the legacy of Louise Lightfoot, the Australian dancer and choreographer widely credited with bringing Indian classical dance forms such as Kathakali and Bharatanatyam to Australian stages during the early 20th century. Lightfoot trained in India and developed close ties with leading artists of the time, later touring extensively with Indian dance troupes across Australia and beyond. Her handwritten notes, photos, and tour programmes are featured in the display, offering a glimpse into a life spent stitching together two distant cultural worlds.
Adding a contemporary thread, the exhibition highlights the work of Tara Rajkumar OAM, who has been a pioneer in Indian dance in Australia since the 1980s. Rajkumar’s contributions to the field span performance, pedagogy, and advocacy. Through initiatives like Natya Sudha Dance Company and the Academy of Indian Performing Arts, she has mentored hundreds of students and worked to establish Indian dance within Australia’s broader performing arts infrastructure.
Guests at the launch were treated to a performance by Divya Rasa Dance, which presented a series of pieces drawing from various Indian classical styles. The troupe’s choreography moved from intricate hand gestures to dynamic footwork, weaving influences from Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Mohiniyattam into a visual reflection of the exhibition’s themes.
The exhibition will remain open to the public over the coming weeks, offering a rare opportunity to experience the sound, movement and memory of Indian performing arts in the Australian academic setting.
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